Way finding …trail guides, bike routes, maps and more

At the Library - Trecia Schell

Summer is a time to enjoy while it lasts, try something new, explore and take some adventures.

Vacation reading is always a great way to catch up on all those interesting books you heard about over the year, now that you finally have a bit of time to sit down and enjoy them. Maybe try listening to an audiobook while travelling on the road. (Audiobooks for kids are super great for the long car trips.) The library has lots of books and online resources that can help you.

The library has several copies and editions of the “Hiking Trails of Nova Scotia” by Michael Haines, (considered to be one of the essential hiking guides for the province). The book is a great resource to check out before you head out to explore the province on foot or two wheels. It has good directions, helpful trail information (difficulty levels, equipment to bring) and local historical and natural history information for each trail.

Online, there is a great new resource through Active Pictou County’s Trails support of the www.HighlandConnect.com website. The website has been recently revamped this spring, with a great new look and handy helpful layout (many thanks to the feedback provided by the recreation partners and the public). Across the top of the main page, there is a tab for ‘Trails’ that leads to a drop-down menu selection of trails by county, for Pictou, Antigonish and Guysborough counties. In Pictou County, there is a list of over 35 trails with their location information, maps, description and services, and contact information for the trail host organization.

At the library we have large atlases of the current local maps in our reference sections that may help you on your way, and historical maps online through www.NovaStory.ca. In addition we carry copies of the local newspapers, and the larger library branches have copies of the provincial and national newspapers too. We welcome visitors, and our public computer access sites are great stops to check in with family and friends at home too.

Borrow anywhere, return anywhere!

All public libraries in Nova Scotia are members of this Libraries Nova Scotia initiative.

What “borrow anywhere” means is that with your local public library card from home you can apply for a library card in a place that you are visiting. In addition, through interlibrary loan – if an item request is placed, and your local regional library does not have a copy for you to borrow, the library can search the database for all Nova Scotia libraries and place a hold request for you. Once that is done, the library item will be delivered to your local library in Nova Scotia for you to pick up.

What “return anywhere” means is that you can drop off your borrowed library items at any participating library – and the library will receive the book/item as being returned. Then the library will look after returning it to the library that the item was borrowed from, for you.

Nova Scotia Community Colleges, university and several government libraries are also members of Libraries Nova Scotia and the BARA initiative.

For more information on upcoming library programs, special events and services, please drop by your local library branch, follow us on Twitter, find us on Facebook, or visit us online at www.parl.ns.ca